Not Strong Enough
by Cassy Lily Potter
Summary: Prequel to "Is This How It's Going To Be?". The start of Hermione and Draco's relationship.


**Hey there! So I was thinking the other day, and I came across wanting to write a "prequel" to my story "Is This How It's Going to be?" So Its a bit long, but I hope you enjoy it and I hope you read the other one that this goes to that Im working on! R&R, reviews always help motivate me to write more  
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><p><em>I'm not strong enough to stay away.<br>Can't run from you  
>I just run back to you.<br>Like a moth I'm drawn in to your flame,  
>Say my name, but it's not the same.<br>You look in my eyes I'm stripped of my pride.  
>And my soul surrenders and you bring my heart to its knees.<em>

Draco sat in the Great Hall, his mother's arms around him, his father's around hers. He watched everyone in the Great Hall, scanning it. That's when he spotted her, Hermione Granger, with her two friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. He wanted to walk to her, to talk to her, to touch her, but he knew he couldn't. He just sat there quietly, looking at the damage and what still stood. His eyes looked back at the entrance of the Great Hall, watching her leave with them. He wished so bad he could be with her.

A few days later, Draco entered the Three Broomsticks with Blaise and Pansy. They all went to the bar and ordered their drinks, then took them and sat at a table. As they were talking, catching up and discussing where everyone was going now in life, Draco couldn't help but look around and see who else was around. As he looked around his eyes locked on hers, her chocolate brown eyes stared back at him.

Blaise nudged him, " Hey.. What are you looking at?" His eyes then tried to follow Dracos.

"Nothing," Draco said softly, his eyes still locked on her, even though her attention was now back on her friends Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley.

Blaise continued to look, and then his eyes locked on, "Go talk to her mate."

Draco shook his head, looking back at Blaise and Pansy, " No, Not right now."

After a while he noticed her leaving, he stood up and nodded at his two friends, then started walking outside behind her and her friend. Once outside, he touched her arm lightly from behind. She jumped, then turned around and her friend turned with her.

"Yes?" She sounded slightly annoyed.

"I…I just wanted to say hi, and see if maybe you'd want to get dinner sometime?" Draco had no idea where this was coming from, he seemed so confident.

She looked to Ginny then back at him, glancing at his arm, "Why would you ask that?"

He frowns and looked down, "Look. I'm not one of them. I just… I want to apologize, and I want to take you out for a nice dinner."

"He spoke so softly she could barely hear, Ginny nodded at her, and then she spoke, "I guess I can give you a chance. Dinner sounds nice. "

He smiled lightly, " Good, tomorrow around seven? Theres a small diner, a muggle diner just around the corner from the ministry entrance, we can meet there. It's public."

She smiled, "That sounds good, I will be there."

He smiled and turned around, joining his friends again at the table.

_And it's killin' me when you're away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay.  
>I'm so confused,So hard to choose.<br>Between the pleasure and the pain.  
>And I know it's wrong, and I know it's right.<br>Even if I try to win the fight, my heart would overrule my mind.  
>And I'm not strong enough to stay away<em>

Months later, Hermione and Draco were still hanging out_._ Draco really wanted her to stay a night with him. He hated that the Manor had such horrible memories for her that she couldn't even step inside. His mother had to go with him to meet her one day at her flat. Narcissa kept her word to not tell Lucius.

Draco opened his eyes as the sun started to shine in on them. Once opened his eyes stayed on Hermione, she was still asleep. He smiled, a part of him knew he shouldn't be doing this; she wouldn't be able to really fit in with the crowd he has to be around, but he couldn't help being with her. He felt different with her, he felt real, in a way, a way he never felt before. When he was away from her, he felt a part of him was missing, he never thought he'd know what real feelings were like.

Hermione opened her eyes and smiled, drawing Draco back from his own thoughts.

"Morning," She spoke softly.

He smiled, " Morning beautiful."

She shook her head, thinking all of this was too good to be true. "Sleep good?" she asked.

"Yes, very good for once."

She sat up in the bed and looked at the clock, "We should both probably be heading off to work."

Draco frowned, not wanting to move, "If we have to."

She looked at him, "Yes, we have to. We can do this again," She smiled.

_I'm not strong enough to stay away  
>What can I do<br>I would die without you  
>In your presence my heart knows no shame<br>I'm not to blame  
>Cause you bring my heart to its knees<em>

Draco was walking through Hogmeade, on his way to meet up with Blaise and Theodore Nott at the Hogs Head. It was a cold December day, snow blanketed the ground. Out of no where a red head, and his black haired friend stepped out in front of Draco. He stopped, glaring at them, recognizing them as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

"What do you two want?" He sneered.

Ron stepped closer to him, "I want you to stay away from Hermione."

Draco continued to stare at the two boys, "That's not happening."

"It better Malfoy, I mean it. You have no reason to be bothering Hermione." Ron said, his voice getting angrier.

"Why? So you can just continue to screw her over like you do? Why don't you mind your own business and go home to your Lav-Lav." Draco spoke flatly.

Before Draco knew it, he was pushed backwards, crashing into the snow a few feet away. He whipped his wand out and stood back up quickly, pointing it at Ron. Ron glared at him and put his wand back in his pocket.

"I mean it Malfoy. I hear you're near here again and I will hunt you down."

Draco watched as the two walked off towards Honeydukes. He stood up and dusted the snow off of his robes. He looked around, noticing no one was a witness of what just happened. He continued walking the path to the Hog Head. Once he entered, he saw his two friends already there, with Firewhiskey's at the table. He sat down and instantly grabbed one, chugging it down fast. The other two boys looked at him as he grabbed another one, downing it as well.

"Something wrong mate?" Blaise asked as he waved at the bartender for more Firewhiskeys.

Draco took the last one from the table and shook his head as he downed it.

_And it's killin' me when you're away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay.  
>I'm so confused,So hard to choose.<br>Between the pleasure and the pain.  
>And I know it's wrong, and I know it's right.<br>Even if I try to win the fight, my heart would overrule my mind.  
>And I'm not strong enough to stay away<em>

Draco tried to keep his distance from Hermione. While he did, he worked harder on getting the mark on his arm to fade. He had started cutting ties with the Death Eaters, but it was by far not an easy process. Especially since his father was one of the leader of them now. He knew he had to accomplish it though. He had to change some, he had to prove himself to her best friends who protect her so well.

It was shortly into a new year, and as he worked on bettering himself, he found some things he could do with Hermione. In mid March, they both took some times off of work, not telling anyone else, and he whisked her away to Miami, Florida, in the United States. He came across it when he was looking for places, they seemed to have good temperatures, warmer than what was in London, and they had water there.

The trip lasted two weeks; it pretty much sealed the deal on them. Hermione enjoyed herself a lot, and she couldn't imagine being there with anyone else. Neither of them had seen the United States before, so with swimming in the ocean they explored a lot of the city and some surrounding cities.

"I love you," Hermione whispered in his ear as they sat on the beach.

He smiled, hearing the words he never thought he'd actually feel or anyone would feel towards him. He looked at her, "I love you too Mi, I have for a while."

She smiled and rubbed a hand across his cheek, " Really?"

He smiled, "Yes, really. I never thought I'd feel it before, I'm happy to know what it feels like."

She turned her gaze to the water as waves crashed in front of them. "I bet you never thought this would happen," She looked back at him.

"No… I never thought this would. But I was also poisoned with lies for most of my life," He turned his gaze, knowing she'd know what he meant.

She rested her head on his bare shoulder, looking out at the ocean with him.

_There's nothing I can do  
>My heart is chained to you<br>And I can't get free  
>Look what this love's done to me<em>

_And it's killin' me when you're away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay.  
>I'm so confused,So hard to choose.<br>Between the pleasure and the pain.  
>And I know it's wrong, and I know it's right.<br>Even if I try to win the fight, my heart would overrule my mind.  
>And I'm not strong enough to stay away<em>

It was summer, Hermione and Draco had been spending so much time together, he moved from the Manor and into her flat in London. Ginny had moved out, since her and Harry was engaged, leaving the two alone in the flat.

One night the two laid in bed, it was the first night they were fully intimate. Draco smiled as he lay there, looking at the ceiling. Hermione was snuggled up with him, her head on his chest. Without noticing, the mark on his arm had gotten a bit darker. Hermione was rubbing a finger along his chest when she saw it. She remembered it was lighter than that, and she started to wonder why it was darker now. As she wondered, memories started to come back. A few weeks ago she was eating lunch with Narcissa, against Hermione's will Narcissa brought Astoria along. Oblivious to what was going on Draco jumped confused after Hermione had jumped up and started putting on her clothes.

"Mi?" He asked standing on the other side of the bed.

"What?" She spoke with an attitude already.

He looked at her confused as he started getting dressed, " What's wrong?"

"You.. That's what." She stated.

"Me? What did I do?"

"Remember when I had lunch with your mom?"

He raised a brow, "Yea.. Did she say something wrong?"

"No.. But she brought Astoria along. Why is your mark darker?"

Draco looked down at it, noticing it was even darker than what it was a few days ago. He stayed quiet, not sure of what to say.

"Astoria told me Draco. You've been going to the meetings your dad has had." She walked over to the door.

"I…I… I can't deny that, but I wasn't going for what you think Mi.." He spoke quietly with his head down.

"I can't believe you. I'm done Draco. Go! Get out of my home." She opened the door she stood by, waiting for him to leave.

As he walked out of the room to the fireplace in the living room, she followed him. He stopped when he got to the fireplace and looked at her. He reached out for her, trying to grab her hand, hoping the swelling in his eyes didn't show.

She moved back some and shook her head, "No Draco, go.. I mean it." After that she turned away and walked into her room, slamming the door shut.

Draco watched as Hermione turned around and walked away. They had just had a big argument, an argument he never expected. He never thought she'd find out he was still tied to the Death Eaters. He was working on ending those ties, he never wanted her to know. Thanks to Astoria Greengrass, she found out. Astoria had been spending a lot of time with Draco's mother. Draco's mother adored her, and thought she'd be right for him, seeing as she's a Pureblood. Draco didn't want her though, he wanted Hermione. He stood in place still, running a hand through his hair then sighing. He had to fix this, somehow he had to see if it could be fixed.

Draco grabbed a hand of the powder next to the fireplace. He threw it in and as the green flames rose he stepped in and called out for the Manor. Once there he left the drawing room quietly and entered the familiar room he grew up in. He crawled into his bed for the night, his dreams filled with Hermione.

_I'm not strong enough, strong enough  
>I'm not strong enough, strong enough<br>I'm not strong enough to stay away  
>I'm not strong enough, strong enough<br>I'm not strong enough, strong enough  
>I'm not strong enough to stay away<em>


End file.
